Speed Reducers

A speed reducer, often referred to as a gear box, is an enclosed mechanical device that utilizes gearing to lower speeds and increase torque on a drive. Typically a speed reducer will be mounted or coupled to an electric motor. Speed reducers are available in a wide array of styles, configurations and ratio’s. Depending on the application, efficiency requirements, space limitations, cost and desired rpm’s, there is an indefinite number of speed reducer options available for most applications. Speed reducers are utilized in all industries, and come in sizes from less than one pound to several tons for heavy industrial applications.

A speed reducer is a housing containing  two or more sets of gears (depending on ratio desired), support bearings, shafts and seals. The housing also contains the gear and bearing lubricants. Speed reducers are available in numerous materials, styles and configurations. Speed reducers utilize a variety of gearing, including worm, helical, miter, bevel and planetary.

A worm gear reducer is a right angle speed reducer that allows the maximum speed reduction in the smallest package. Worm gear speed reducers are used in low to moderate horsepower applications. They offer low initial cost, high ratios, and high output torque in a small package. These speed reducers have a much higher tolerance for shock loading then helical gear reducers.

A bevel gearbox is another right angle speed reducer but its efficiency is much higher than the worm gear. Applications that require a right angle speed reducer with a low ratio should consider utilizing a bevel gearbox.

Helical gear speed reducers are more efficient and capable of handling higher over hung loads. In-Line speed reducers are less expensive than parallel shaft reducers but the parallel shaft has more flexibility and options. Helical speed reducers are used in higher horsepower applications where long-term operational efficiency is more important than initial cost.

Planetary gear speed reducer’s offers many advantages over traditional gearbox arrangements. One advantage is its unique combination of both compactness and outstanding power transmission efficiencies. Typical efficiency losses in a planetary gear speed reducer arrangement are only 3% per stage. This type of efficiency ensures that a high proportion of the energy being input into the speed reducer is multiplied and transmitted into torque, rather than being wasted on mechanical losses inside the gearbox.

Another advantage of the planetary speed reducer arrangement is load distribution. The load being transmitted is shared between multiple planets (gears), thus torque capability is greatly increased. The more planets in the system, the greater load ability and the higher the torque density. The planetary speed reducer arrangement also creates greater stability and increased rotational stiffness. Disadvantages to the planetary speed reducer arrangement include design complexity and accessibility issues, as well as initial cost and availability.

Please contact a Bearing Service sales representative to assist in finding the correct speed reducer for your application.

Here is a list of Manufacturers / Brands that we represent:

• Regal PTS (Browning, Morse, Foote-Jones)
• Baldor/ Dodge
• Rexnord (Falk)
• Danaher Motion/ Thomson
• Sumitomo
• Winsmith
• Regal Grove Gear
• Sew Eurodrive
• MitrPak
• Altra Motion (Boston Gear)
• Cone Drive Textron
• Regal Alling
• Cleveland Gear
• American Metric
• Renold
• Perfection Gear
• Electra Gear
• Dalton
• Alpha Gear
• Philadelphia Gear
• Joyce Dayton
• Duff Norton
• Nord